The best slow cooker bbq chicken is one of the easiest meals to make on busy weeknights.
With only seven simple ingredients, you can have the meal ready to cook for dinner tonight in less than five minutes.
Crock Pot BBQ Chicken
Crock Pot bbq chicken is a favorite at our house. The recipe is one of the easiest slow cooker meals to make and turns out delicious every time.
It takes about five minutes to get the recipe in the slow cooker. You can let it cook all day while you’re doing something else and come home to a home-cooked meal.
Plus, it’s perfect for a busy day or game days. You can cook it ahead of time and keep it on warm in the slow cooker at your next party.
I know this will become one of your family favorites because it’s the easiest bbq chicken, and it’s delicious.
Ingredients Needed For Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Worcestershire sauce
- BBQ sauce (your favorite)
- Brown sugar
- Salt and black pepper
- Apple cider vinegar
Full printable recipe with measurements and instructions listed at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Watch How To Make The Best Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
How To Make Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
- Spray the slow cooker with nonstick spray and place the chicken breasts on the bottom.
- Pour the apple cider vinegar over the chicken.
- Next, add the brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to the top of the chicken.
- Spread the barbecue sauce over the top. Place the lid on top and cook on low for eight hours.
- After eight hours, shred the chicken and add it to a bun.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Place chicken breasts in a slow cooker sprayed with nonstick spray.
You do not need to add any chicken broth, as the chicken will release moisture as it cooks.
Pour the apple cider vinegar into the pot with the chicken.
Apple cider vinegar helps tenderize the chicken and add flavor to the dish.
Sprinkle the brown sugar on top.
Pour the Worcestershire sauce on top of the chicken.
Finally, add the barbecue sauce on top of the chicken. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low heat for eight hours.
For this recipe, I used Sweet Baby Ray’s Hickory and Brown Sugar barbecue sauce. They also have a delicious maple syrup barbecue sauce. But, you can use your favorite for this recipe.
After eight hours, shred the chicken and serve.
I used two forks to shred the chicken, but you can also use an electric hand mixer. Just be careful, as it gets messy.
What To Serve The Shredded BBQ Chicken On
- Hamburger buns
- Hoagie rolls
- Coleslaw
- Toasted garlic bread
Can I Put Raw Chicken In The Slow Cooker?
Yes, you can add raw chicken to the slow cooker. In fact, you can even add frozen chicken to the cooker. Meal prep is easy with Crock Pot recipes.
Can You Overcook Chicken In A Slow Cooker?
Yes, it’s possible to overcook chicken in the slow cooker. If you cook the chicken for too long, it will dry out. I don’t usually cook the chicken for longer than eight hours on low.
If you put the temperature on high heat, four to five hours should be plenty of cook time.
Do I Need To Brown Chicken For The Slow Cooker?
No, you can add raw or frozen chicken breasts to the slow cooker.
How To Store The Best BBQ Chicken
Store the cooked chicken in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator.
Can The Recipe Be Made In An Instant Pot?
Yes, but you will have to check your Instant Pot manual to see how long it will take to cook.
What Goes Well With BBQ Chicken?
These are some great side dishes that go well with a lot of recipes, including barbecue.
- Jiffy corn pudding
- Homemade potato salad
- Fried cornbread recipe
- Pan fried potatoes and onions
- Pickles
- Potato chips
- Copycat Chick-Fil-A Coleslaw
- Moist Jiffy cornbread
- Hush puppies
- Crock Pot mac and cheese
- Collard greens with bacon from Bake It With Love
Pulled Chicken Crock Pot BBQ Chicken
Get the recipe below for easy Crock Pot BBQ chicken.
The whole family will love this simple recipe, and it might become your favorite way to make bbq chicken. Even your picky eater will ask for more.
And, it makes for easy lunches the next day if you have any leftovers.
The Best Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
The best slow cooker bbq chicken is easy to make and turns out tender and flavorful every time. This is a great slow cooker recipe.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory and Brown Sugar).
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Spray the sides and bottom of a slow cooker with nonstick spray.
- Add the chicken breasts to the bottom of the slow cooker in a single layer.
- Pour the apple cider vinegar over the top.
- Next, add the brown sugar, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Finally, pour the barbecue sauce over the top.
- Place the lid on top of the slow cooker and cook on low heat for eight hours.
- After eight hours, shred chicken with a fork and serve.
Notes
The cooking time is eight hours, but you can cut it in half and cook it on high for four to five hours. The chicken will be done when it's tender and falls apart easily.
The recipe calls for one cup of bbq sauce, but you can add a little more if you'd like to.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
If you love barbecue you can add some additional barbecue sauce over the top of your sandwich after it cooks.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 174Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 446mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 0gSugar: 15gProtein: 19g
Nutrition is approximate.
Jennifer
Tuesday 27th of June 2023
For the hickory bbq shredded chicken recipe, I have a question. Would it work to also add some garlic and onions to the crockpot as it's cooking? Thanks. I'd also thought about adding a little bit of Ray's teriyaki sauce to the chicken as well. Do you think that would be to much, or make it to sweet? I thank you in advance for your opinion ☺️ Jennifer
Julie Pollitt
Tuesday 27th of June 2023
Hi Jennifer!
You can definitely add garlic and onion to the Crock Pot as it cooks. I would wait until it is done cooking to add any more sauce. I would try it first before I added more sauce to see how it tastes. It might end up making it too sweet. But if not, then you can add it when it’s done cooking. Hope that helps, and you enjoy it!
Taylor biggs
Thursday 12th of January 2023
Can you use pork for this?
Julie Pollitt
Friday 13th of January 2023
You can. Pork would be delicious!